It is known that if a vehicle door opens during a crash, the driver or passenger may sustain injuries that are additional to the injuries directly related to the impact. In order to prevent a vehicle door from opening during a crash, mechanisms have been installed on the door handle assembly to prevent the door from unlatching or opening during a crash. For example, it is known to install a counterweight to the door handle assembly and particular in a position opposite to the handle pivot of the door handle. While this assembly and technique has been mostly effective in a side impact crash, it has not been as effective during a multiple axis vehicle crash. In fact, in a multiple axis vehicle crash, the inertia caused by a rollover crash, for example, may place the counterweight in a position that permits the door to be unlatched and opened. The present invention is directed at overcoming these and other known drawbacks with respect to existing door latching mechanisms.